BOCA MOURNINGS

A Novel by: Steve Forman

Boca Mournings, the fast-paced sequel to Boca Knights, follows our hero Eddie Perlmutter as he continues his adventures in Boca Raton, Florida.

At 61, Eddie is one tough retired cop, but his retirement has done nothing to stop him from being the "Boca Knight," a celebrity and hero of justice for the people of Boca.

Perlmutter befriends Sylvia Goldman, a 76-year-old woman who compulsively steals bagels and Sweet N' Low packets from the health club. She is initially diagnosed with Alzheimer's and Schizophrenia, although it is later revealed that her problems run much more deeply than that.

Eddie acquires a sidekick, Lou Dewey, a man who made a bundle in online fraud and hacking into the bank accounts of those who can afford to lose a little money. Before Eddie has a chance to bust him, his heart fails him and Dewey saves Eddie's life by driving him to the hospital. In exchange for Dewey's freedom, Eddie takes him on as his internet specialist, a kind of investigator in solving the cases set before him.

Perlmutter is faced with the ignorance of a group of neo-Nazis he encounters. When Randolph Buford, a 19-year-old member of the Aryan Army attempts to shoot him, his mother begs Eddie to find a way to save her son from the dangers of prison. Eddie complies, with an idea that creates an opportunity for Randolph to change.

All that aside, Eddie has to deal with elevator sabotage in a feuding apartment complex, a woman who believes her husband is cheating on her, and the kidnapping of a couple whose lives are more complicated than they appear.

Steven M. Forman provides an insight into each of the character's lives, making them relatable and captivating. Their backgrounds and ancestral history are detailed, setting them up to later come together, connecting the characters in ways that they never thought possible.

Eddie has a sharp tongue and is witty and often sarcastic. He is straightforward in his efforts to help the people around him and diligent in solving what he perceives as unethical. He has a strong sense of morals, and although he often complains of "getting soft," he begins to see that rehabilitation and understanding can be a better solution than letting his bad temper overtake him.

Besides being lighthearted, hilarious, and incredibly hard to put down, the novel has depth as well. Eddie finds himself changing, his acceptance growing for those who are different from him. He has experiences in the gay community, befriending Howard and Derek, a married couple living in the gay neighborhood of Wilton Manors, south of Boca Raton. He learns about Muslim and Jewish culture and travels to Israel, feeling pain in remembrance of the Holocaust together with those around him. Eddie is forced to deal with death in several forms. As the novel comes to a close, the concept that everyone has a chance to change for the better is not forgotten.

Portrait of author Steve M. Forman

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites